This fall, Humber launched the HEART (Humber’s Elderly Assess and Restore Team) service as part of its Seniors Care Strategy.

The HEART service outlines how the hospital’s health care team is preparing to care for seniors in our community. The service’s ‘assess and restore philosophy’ supports patients over the age of 65, who are frail, at-risk seniors and who have experienced a reversible loss of functional ability,
regain their independence.

As part of the HEART service, patients over the age of 65 are screened within 24 hours of admission to hospital. Those meeting the HEART service criteria receive a full assessment with 48 hours. Throughout their hospital stay, eligible patients receive continued care at follow-up appointments after they go home.

The goal of the HEART service is to support patients to return home, live independently, and remain in the community as long as possible.

This innovative and integrated approach to care shortens the patient’s length of stay in hospital and reduces the demand for rehabilitation and long-term care beds in the community.

“We consulted with our patients, families and community partners to develop this valuable initiative, to learn how we could support individuals and to restore their functional ability and support safe ageing in the community,” says Beatrise Edelstein, Program Director, Senior’s Care.